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Google Keep Update

I started using Google Keep earlier this year, and wrote a blog post about it March. Now, math isn’t my strongest subject, but if you carry the one, I do believe that makes it at least six months now that I’ve been using it. The fact that I continue to use it is a testament in itself. New habits are tough, especially for my tattered mind, but Keep seems to work for me.

Google Keep is a note-taking service developed by Google. Launched on March 20, 2013, Google Keep is available on the web, and has mobile apps for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems. Keep offers a variety of tools for taking notes, including text, lists, images, and audio. Users can set reminders, which are integrated with Google Now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Keep

To do or not to do

I use Google Keep a lot for lists. For instance, I use it for my Grocery List. I had tried using the iPhone notes app for my grocery list, but it didn’t work for me for a few reasons. Why can’t I use a piece of paper or notepad for my grocery list like a normal person? Simple. I forget to bring said piece of paper or notepad with me to the grocery store and I have to either drive home, where I may or may not be able to find it, or more likely, I wing it, which inevitably leads to another trip to the grocery store to buy the rest of the stuff I need, after I get home and realize what else I forgot. Its a case of six and half dozen the other, except both outcomes suck.

If at first you don’t succeed

My first try at solving this dilemma was to use my iPhone “Notes” app. Problem with the Notes app is that though it does a great job of keeping my list safe and secure on my iPhone, which I rarely forget, you can’t check off items on your list as you go. Well, I just went back and checked, and you can now, but you have to generate your list from the lock screen. When I tried it long ago, you couldn’t check stuff off, which would inevitably result in me forgetting something on the list. I need to cross every individual item out or I inevitably forget at least 2 things.

iPhone screen shot

Google Keep takes this function to the next level.

Google Keep takes this function to the next level. Hold on to your otter box for this one, in Google Keep you can uncheck the items on your list. What does that mean? You can recreate your Grocery List for the week by using what you bought last time.

Before

After
So, when I’m going grocery shopping, I’ll just look at my list that already has everything checked off, take an inventory around the house to see what I need more of, uncheck those items, and then I’ve got a solid Grocery List to start off with.

just like those good old post it notes, but without the dog hair and popcorn crumbs they pick up from the floor.

You may notice that grocery list is blue. Another cool feature of Google Keep is the selection of colors for your notes, just like those good old post it notes, but without the dog hair and popcorn crumbs they pick up from the floor. I use blue for my grocery lists, white for hobby or recreation, orange for stuff around the house, green for work, etc.

You can move the individual notes around, and you have a few options of how you’d like them to be displayed. Google Keep will directly integrate into Google Docs, which I had been using a bit for blogging notes up until a month or so ago. More often than not, I’ll use the WordPress app, which offers some amazing functionality.

A Google Docs document. You can see my Google Keep notes in the window to the right. They can be easily copied in to Google Docs or Google Slides.

Tryin to make a living and doing the best I can.

I’m not just using Google Keep for Grocery Lists. I use the widget from the iPhone lock screen to jot down notes about work, ideas for my blog, etc. The list function is also helpful for me any time a checklist would apply, whether it be for camping equipment or the materials I need for a product demo.

I still use Evernote because I like its ability to capture content via my camera, which Google Keep also has, but I like Evernote‘s system for archiving and searching that content better. I will also often take a note in Google Keep and then move it to Evernote for archival.

So far the two systems integrate pretty flawlessly and I have no plans to change. Google Keep is the “better mousetrap” version of a notepad for me because of it’s ease of use, features, cloud integration, and, well, I think it’s cool. If you’re not already using Google Keep, give it at try (it’s free) and let me know what you think in the comments below.

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2 thoughts on “Google Keep Update”

I had google memo on my old phone and now can’t find all my notes! Let me know if you know how to do that. Also, I use Evernote but am sure I am only using like 1% of its capacity so I will be looking into that. Google keep looks great. I will be checking that out, too. I’m on Samsung S8+.

I’m not familiar with Google memo as I’m an IOS user. Google Keep is backed up by your Google account so you can access the notes on any device you’re logged in to. They don’t go away unless you delete them. As far as Evernote goes, if you are familiar with David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done”, you can use Evernote to organize yourself under that system. There are YouTube videos on how to do this like this one: https://youtu.be/hoCyKJn9tjo. I used a different video to set mine up but I can’t find it now. This guy uses “collection box”as his default folder. I just call mine “Inbox”.